Harry's Boggart
by Harry. Potter. Is. BOSS
Summary: I've never really believed that Harry's biggest fear was a Dementor - I knew it had to be You-Know-Who! So here's what I think should've went down in that DADA lesson. R&R!
1. Not Ready

**Chapter One - Not Ready**

"What really finishes a Boggart is _laughter_," continued Professor Lupin. "What you need to do is force it to resume a shape that you find amusing."

The entire class was listening intently; they had never had a practical DADA lesson before, and they're seemed to be an air of excitement surrounding the class - or was it just Harry?

"Before we continue, I would like to know if anyone knows of any different types of fears - anyone, no?"

Hermione's hand suddenly appeared above the student's heads. "Miss Granger," said the teacher.

"Sir, there are many different types of fears, like fears of hands and spiders," she said grinning at Ron, "but they come under another category, or umbrella, if you will, for that type." she said.

"Exactly," said Lupin and Hermione beamed. "One of the most unknown umbrellas" - he winked at Hermione - "are fears of Memories. These are fears of a specific memory, a memory that one may have nightmares about. A Boggart can actually transform into a memory, and re-enact the moment as if it was happening then. It is very difficult to look at a distressing memory in an amusing light, which is why they are one of a Boggart's most powerful tools, as it is not only frightening, but usually very painful as well. "

Harry and Ron hadn't heard much of this - they were still trying to figure out how Hermione could've come into class without them noticing her.

"How did she get in? _Did you see her come in_?" puzzled Ron .

But the pair quickly regained interest in the class as they confusedly joined in the chorus of 'Ridikkulus!' going up over the room. Harry thought he heard Malfoy murmur "This class is ridikkulus," but that didn't bother him as much as it would have any other time -they were about to fight a boggart for Merlin's Sake!

The Gryffindors watched in frightful anticipation as Neville stepped forward to face the creature. His hands were shaking, and his face was covered in cold sweat.

"Ready, Neville?" called Professor Lupin cheerfully. Neville opened his mouth and closed it several times. Harry didn't think Neville could've spoken if he wanted to.

Professor Lupin seemed to take this as a 'yes' though and promptly sent a ribbon of sparks hurtling towards the closet. The was a load - pop! - and the wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Boggart Snape stepped out, and slowly stalked towards Neville. He backed away, mouthing wordlessly, attempting to speak but no sound coming out. Snape was almost upon him, reaching into his robes-

"R-Ridikkulus!" he squeaked.

The whole class burst out into fits of laughter at the sight of Snape stumbling around in a lace-trimmed dress and vulture hat. Professor Lupin, still recovering from his own hysterical episode, said, "Now I want all of you to think of what fears you most and then what would make that amusing to you."

The room went quiet, despite the fact that the boggart was still blundering around disorientated, trying to figure out who to scare first.

Harry closed shut his eyes and thought - what is he most afraid of?

A frightening image filled his mind - the cold breath of a Dementor, the… _screams_. Suddenly, horrible thoughts came floating to his mind… Voldemort torturing his father… killing his mother… his panicked voice… her terrified screams… the sight of the hooded figure bending down towards him… the blinding flash of green light… the high cold laugh… he could feel these thoughts, these _memories_, clouding up around him, blinding him, deafening him, choking him, swirling up inside him… _Snap out of it Harry!_ He told himself firmly. Harry attempted forcefully to think about that Dementor, but to no avail. His mind kept returning to his vision of the hooded man, his mother, his father, the green light and the chilling laugh.

"Everyone ready? Good, Lavender Brown, forward please!"

Harry gulped. He wasn't ready - why was he so scared all of a sudden of that memory? What did Professor Lupin say, something about Memory Fears? Most powerful, and painful…


	2. Boggart Reminisce

_**A/N: Thanks for reading the story guys! And the reviews… you are all as Boss as Molly Weasley when she killed Bellatrix! If I had a box of Honeydukes Assorted Sweets, you would all get some! Sorry, this one will be a bit short, so don't kill me, and there will be more chapters coming very soon… **_

_**P:S. If you read, please review! Do you…**_

_**Love it?**_

_**Hate it? **_

_**Would buy it?**_

_**Want to Avada Kedavra its butt? (if it had one… )**_

_**LET ME KNOW!**_

_**Thank you all again, Love and Muffins,**_

_**- HPIB **_

"Harry, Harry!" Hermione's badgering voice snapped him out of his day-mare. He was still attempting to be forget the scenes from his nightmares. Why was he suddenly remembering all this? There wasn't a single Dementor around.

"Huh?" he said, a little disorientated.

Hermione peered at him strangely. "Are you alright? You looked like you were in a trance or something."

No, no, I'm fine, just… tired," Harry lied._ Please don't call my bluff_, Harry thought desperately.

"Tired?" Ron looked at him like he was crazy. _Damn it._ "Well, wake up! You don't want to be distracted when that Boggart comes our way!" he grinned darkly. Harry put on a fake smile, and he prayed that his friends didn't notice his badly hidden anxiety.

But they weren't listening - the whole class had burst into wild applause as Parvati's bloodied mummy began doing the moonwalk. Normally, Harry would've found this funny - but he didn't think anything would make him laugh right now, not with his' parents hopeless cries ringing in his ears.

The mummy had made it's way over to Ron, who was standing right next to Harry. He shivered; he could almost see the memory in his mind's eye now, - did the Boggart make it clearer? Was it just his imagination? Harry didn't know.

Ron started forward, his face set. Harry just heard him mutter "Take its legs off," as he walked past him. Harry knew exactly what that was about. Ron's biggest fear was spiders.

_Crack!_ - A giant spider, which looked a great deal like Hagrid's former 'pet' arachnid Aragog, appeared where the mummy had been. Personally, Harry had never understood Ron's phobia - his experience of living in a cupboard full of them made him quite sympathetic to the little creatures and never failed to stop Ron from destroying some poor critter who had obliviously found its way into the common room.

The legless spider went rolling round the room, causing shouts of alarm as it almost bowled some students over. However, Harry barely noticed the chaos unfolding in the room, as the suddenly strong remembrance swallowed him again._ No!_ he screamed in his mind. _I will not be frightened by a memory! It's done! It's over! I'm not frigh… I'm not… I… I… _

But Harry didn't finish his thoughts, because the Boggart had now rolled to his feet. The eyes of the spider looked up at him. Harry stood there transfixed. He could not look away from those eyes; they seemed to look right though him, into his very soul… Suddenly, the memory flashed before his mind's eye stronger than ever and scenes played out before him he could hardly even recognise; only bare traces from his earliest dreams made Harry believe this had happened. He could hear the shouts and gasps of his classmates, but they were muffled, like they were on one side of a Quidditch pitch, and he was on the other. Then, Harry felt the strangest feeling course through him, like something was being torn from him. It surrounded him, consumed him. Harry felt that this was the Boggart tearing the visions from his worst nightmares. He could almost see the memory being sucked out of him… only, it wasn't… the memory was still there, strong as ever, but something else was happening… like the creature was making a copy of it, to project them into reality. What then would happen exactly, Harry had no idea.


	3. Curious Classmates

**Chapter Three - Curious Classmates**

Dean and Seamus watched, poorly hiding snickers, as the girls squealed in fright at the giant spider rolling madly around the room. Lavender turned to them with cold eyes.

"Don't laugh at Ron - I would be scared if I saw something like that."

"Ooh," teased Seamus, dancing shrewdly around her. "Has Lavvy got a wee crush on Ronniekins over there?"

Lavender turned beet red and glared at the Irish boy.

"She does not! Don't be so immature!" Parvati replied angrily, stepping forward to help her friend.

"Do too!" said Dean. "Besides, we weren't even laughing at Ron - we were laughing at_ you_."

This time both girls turned red and Parvati clenched her wand in her hand. The boys looked at each other - they saw the way she tackled that boggart and knew she would hold back nothing on them. Seamus decided to change the subject, before she hexed their heads off.

"Err, hey look! It's almost Harry's turn!"

A number of people around perked up and craned their necks over the crowd - Harry was still something of a celebrity and whispers followed him wherever he went.

"I really don't see why everyone still looks at him like he's famous or something." said Parvati loudly, causing some people to blush and look away. "I mean, it's not like he likes it or anything."

"Of course he doesn't like it!" scoffed Dean, rolling his eyes. "How would you like it if everywhere you went everything pointed and talked about you, for something he can't even remember?"

The others nodded in agreement. "You know, I never know about him - Harry, I mean." said Lavender thoughtfully, glancing over at the dark-haired wizard. "He's always been so..." she stopped, searching for the right word. "Different."

Seamus snorted. "Different? He's one of the nicest guys I know!"

"He's kinda quiet, but real witty too once you get to know him." added Dean defensively. "And he always sticks up for his mates when someone pokes fun at them."

"I know," she continued, slightly annoyed at the fact that the boys thought she didn't like Harry, "I never said that. But he's just got that aura, you know, like he knows something, something we don't."

The boys raised their eyebrows. "Knows something? Aura?" said Dean, unconvinced.

"Well, like he's been there, done that. Like he's really powerful, don't you ever feel that bit weird when you're with him doing spells and stuff?" said Parvati.

Seamus had to agree with that. "He got that whole 'I get it' thing going on - like he just gets it, you know?"

They all nodded. "I bet he's got loads of secrets, though. He's really reserved and quiet - in a good way of course," she added quickly seeing the looks on the boy's faces. Dean frowned. "Well you would be too after duelling -" he lowered his voice - "You-Know-Who!"

"That's obvious, isn't it?" whispered Seamus, matching Dean's ominous whisper. Suddenly, his eyes widened as if he had just had a great epiphany. "I've figured it out!" he muttered excitedly. "Harry's Boggart - it's gotta be You-Know-Who!"

Dean shifted uncomfortably while Lavender paled; Parvati gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Y-Y-You-Know-Who? H-He wouldn't actually appear, w-would he? Ha-Harry d-doesn't remember what he looks like, d-does he?"

"Who knows?" Seamus said mysteriously. "Sometimes we heard him, talking in his sleep."

"Yeah!" added Dean quickly. "Really weird stuff, especially since that Dementor attack…"

The group shivered; they all hated the way Dementors made them feel.

"But, that could be Harry's boggart, right?" said Lavender hopefully. "You said it yourself, he's been having nightmares and stuff."

"I guess," laughed Dean awkwardly, trying to lighten the sombre mood which had settled on the little group. "It could be a basilisk, a giant spider, Professor Trelawney's predictions, Grims, Crookshanks, or a turbanless Quirrell."

"Well, it looks like we're about to find out!" squealed Lavender, pointing towards the legless spider at Harry's feet.

The group whipped around and watched in frightful anticipation at what Harry's boggart could possibly be.


End file.
